where the ordinary becomes extraordinary

What if your year could be full of happy surprise, delight, and gleeful anticipation.

You know, the way you feel when you are waiting for something you love to arrive.

The wait is full of gleeful anticipation. The arrival is met with happy surprise. And then there is the delight of holding it in your hands at last.

Maybe you ordered the item from Etsy or from an artist and there is an extra something in the package and it is the loveliest surprise ever.

But then the wait is over - and so is the anticipation and surprise and that initial burst of delight.

What if it didn't have to end.

What if it could last all year.

I'd like to invite you to become a 2012 patron of retinal perspectives.

Patron can be a tricky word. It means something different to everyone.

When I think of patrons, I think of how I feel when someone chooses to invest their money in one of my offerings. I get a huge smile on my face and clap my hands with surprise and delight and wonder. Sometimes, I do a little dance around the room. My heart is filled with appreciation.

I want to help you experience the surprise and delight and anticipation and wonder that I experience.

Not just once, but again and again.

Why become a patron? Why not just visit my etsy shop?

When you become a patron, you get surprise and delight and anticipation that lasts all year.

When you become a patron, you get special offerings that are not available anywhere else.

When you become a patron, you get something or somethings you love plus happy surprises plus a year of goodness.

To me, the essence of becoming a patron is a little like finding the doorway into a secret garden.

The garden is a very special place.

Bluebirds and squirrels companionably nibble on birdseed. Vines wind their way around the walls of the garden. The air smells like lilacs and pine trees. There is cheery birdsong during the day and the deep throaty call of the owl at night.

Inside the garden, winter isn't as cold and summer lasts longer. The grounds are natural and wild and lush. There are flowers you can't find anywhere else and they bloom for an astonishingly long time. There is a walkway paved with stones and a bench next to a soothing fountain. When the sun hits the water just right, you can see a shimmering rainbow in the air.

The garden feels like a place of enchantment. It is full of delight and magic and wonder.

I want you to feel like you've stepped inside that garden.

I want your life to be full of happy surprise, delight, and gleeful anticipation.

If the invitation resonates with you, there are four ways to become a patron.

The circle of aqua. Light, fresh, playful.

What's included?A set of 5 cards made especially for this circle.15% off anything in my Etsy shop. All year.Postcards in your mail throughout 2012: some addressed to you, some for you to address.Quarterly garden notes: bits of news from my corner of the world, delivered right to your mailbox.

Open to 15 lovely people.

--->This circle is now closed!

The circle of plum. Sweet, juicy, luscious.

What's included?An 11x17 print with an image of your choice.A set of 5 cards made especially for you. 20% off anything in my Etsy shop. All year.Postcards in your mail throughout 2012: some addressed to you, some for you to address.Quarterly garden notes: bits of news from my corner of the world, delivered right to your mailbox.

Open to 10 lovely people.

--->This circle is now closed!

The circle of ebony. Simple, classic, perfection.

What's included?An image of your choice on a 20x24 canvas.25% off anything in my Etsy shop. All year.Postcards in your mail throughout 2012: some addressed to you, some for you to address.Quarterly garden notes: bits of news from my corner of the world, delivered right to your mailbox.

Open to 5 lovely people.

--->This circle is now closed!

The circle of saffron. Bold, indulgent, pleasure.

What's included?An artist date with me!An 11x17 print with an image of your choice.A set of 10 cards made especially for you.30% off anything in my Etsy shop. All year.Postcards in your mail throughout 2012: some addressed to you, some for you to address.Quarterly garden notes: bits of news from my corner of the world, delivered right to your mailbox.

The artist date can be in-person if you think you'll be in or around Portland in 2012 or it can be virtual.

An in-person artist date will include tea + Shiva Nata + a photo walk with me and Atlas.

A virtual artist date will include a Pause session for rest/relaxation. I will also dedicate a photo walk to you and you can select cards/a print from the images taken on that walk.

Open to 3 lovely people.

--->This circle is now closed!

I don't want to rush you.

However, because this is a year-long offering, I cannot leave it open forever.

Registration will close on March 15.

Questions?

Here are the answers to a few common questions. If your question isn't included, let me know.

Do I need to know what image I want for a print or canvas? Not at all. We have a year to find you just the right image. If it's too hard to decide, I can even provide you with a gallery of my favorites to help you narrow the selection down.

Cards made especially for me?Yes! You can give me a theme or a color or a favorite subject matter and I'll create a set especially for you. You'll get final approval. Alternatively, if you have images that you particularly want - since I know some people frame the cards - I can do that too.

Do you have any examples of images on canvas?There's a picture of a 20x24 canvas I had made for myself in this blog post: daisy on canvas.

Why the limits?I am only one person. But if you have found a magic wand that adds more hours to the day, let's talk!